The present subject matter relates generally to a water valve and hose connection for fire protection standpipe hose systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to water valve and hose connection for fire protection standpipe hose systems that improves compliance with regulatory requirements by reducing the depth of the valve and connection assembly in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) while remaining in compliance with standards and requirements for these types of valves and hose connections as established by various regulatory authorities.
Accessible building standards as described within, but not limited to, the United States Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), ANSI A117.1, and ICC A117.1, limit the protrusion of any object to four inches, if the bottom leading edge of the object is located in a range greater than twenty-seven inches and below eighty inches from the finished floor. The protruding object rule's primary purpose is to protect those who are blind and low vision, and those who use a cane to detect protruding objects within a path of travel.
Presently, the NFPA design guidelines, while using the present technology, are not compliant with the protrusion limits as described within the ADA and other accessibility codes.
National Fire Protection Association 14, Standard for the Installation of Standpipes and Hose Systems, provides guidance on the placement and clearances required for standpipe hose connections. These dimensions are intended to make access to and use of the standpipe system easier for firefighters. According to NFPA 14:                Hose connections and hose stations should be unobstructed and located not less than 3 feet (0.9 meter) or more than 5 feet (1.5 m) above the floor measured from the floor to the center of the hose station valve. This provides easy access to the hose station so firefighters do not have to overly stretch or bend to attach the hose and operate the outlet.        Hose connections should be located so there is at least 3 inches (76.2 millimeters) of clearance between any adjacent object and the handle of the valve when the valve is in any position ranging from fully open to fully closed.        
Using the current art and technology, NFPA 14 compliant standpipe hose connections violate the Accessible Building Standards, namely the four inch protrusion limit for objects located between twenty-seven and eighty inches above the finished floor. Also within the current art, a detectable barrier is sometimes, yet rarely, installed beneath standpipe hose connections.
Protrusion limit violations, created by standpipe hose connections, commonly occur in retail stores, stairwell landings of mid-rise and high-rise buildings, Areas of Rescue Assistance (mostly, but not always, stairwell landings), and hotel corridors.
Accordingly, there is a need for a standpipe valve system which allows both a standpipe valve and hose connection fitting to protrude less than four inches from the structural element to which the valve and/or hose connection fitting has been mounted to, as described herein.